Man treads water for 4 hours before rescue
View from a Coast Guard helicopter showing a boat near where the man was discovered. (Image courtesy of the US Coast Guard)
Authorities say a man who went overboard from a vessel spent more than four hours in waters off Cape May before he was rescued by a passing boat.
In a release, Coast Guard officials said they received a mayday call from the Sea Robin around 10 p.m. Saturday and soon launched a C-130 “Hercules” plane, MH-65 “Dolphin” helicopter, and boat crews from their stations in Elizabeth City, Atlantic City, and Cape May.
The 45-year-old man was located early Sunday by the Maersk Wesport, a 39-foot recreational vessel that was about 44 miles east of Cape May.
He was thrown a life preserver and soon hoisted from the water. The Coast Guard flew the man to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City, but did not say whether he suffered any injuries.
Authorities have not said what caused the man to go overboard.
“The incredible teamwork and coordination between multiple Coast Guard assets and the Maersk Wesport proved vital in locating and medevacing the survivor despite intense thunderstorms and darkness,” said Tamara Whalen, a helicopter pilot who flew the case, in the release. “Each member was critical to insuring the safe return of the survivor to his family.”
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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